Australia Drug Makers Fight Proposal To Allow Earlier Generics
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
Australia's drug makers warn of dire consequences if a proposal to change some of the nation's patent laws is adopted to accommodate generic drugs. Pharmaceutical companies warn that a dilution of the laws would cause branded-drug firms to trim back research funding by about $793 million and cut thousands of jobs. At issue is a decision the Innovation Ministry expects to issue soon on allowing makers of generics to market drugs that are still under Australian patent protections. Hospira, the world's largest generics maker, has been lobbying for a patent law change to allow it to begin producing and exporting drugs near the end of a branded drug's patent period. (Click here for more